Capstone Seminar: Adolescent Substance Use

Catalog description

What happens when we treat adolescent substance use as a public health issue rather than a criminal one? Why didn't DARE work? Why do some youth have access to effective treatment while others do not? In this capstone course, you will investigate a question that matters to you within the field of adolescent substance use. After building a foundation in developmental science, epidemiology, and risk/protective factors, you will explore prevention approaches, treatment models, policy impacts, and disparities affecting special populations. Your capstone project includes a literature review synthesizing empirical evidence, a research poster presented at Intersections, and creative social media content communicating your key findings to teens, parents, or policymakers. You will leave the course with expertise in your chosen topic and the ability to translate specialized knowledge for diverse audiences. By the end of this course, you will be able to critically analyze the evidence base for prevention and treatment approaches, understand how policy shapes outcomes for youth, and communicate complex research to diverse audiences. Counts as a Capstone Project course. Prereq: PSCL 375 and ( PSCL 282 or STAT 201 or SOCI 307 or ANTH 319 ).